Energy plant causes concern

PALESTINE – On Tuesday, Anderson County residents heard from Next Era Energy Resources for the first time, the company in charge of building the 1,700-acre natural gas-fired power plant project, which came out of a U.S.-Japan trade deal to help support rising electricity demand. According to our news partner KETK, the company plans to provide 5.2 gigawatts to ERCOT’s statewide power grid and would be NextEra’s largest gas plant in the country if completed. 

“It’s three miles away from me, I can see it from my front yard, drinking coffee on my porch where they’re going to build this place, so I’m not happy,” Tennesse Colony Volunteer Fire Chief Eddie Crockett said. “We’ve been a quiet county for a long time and this will ruin it.”

During Tuesday’s presentation, several residents expressed concern about preserving Anderson County’s water supply.  Next Era Energy says the plant will operate on an air-cooling system and they are in contact with Trinity River Water Authority.

“It actually has noise areas of 120 to 135 decibels, which, compared, is actually about the equivalent of a jet engine,” explains Sean Crocket, Eddie’s son.

The project is under federal Jurisdiction— Which means there’s very little action the county can take…“I know they can impose some of the noise ordinance they can make and put up barriers,” Sean said.

The project will still have to go through the permitting process before any construction begins. The first phase would be operational by 2028, and all energy production cycles would be completed by 2032.